BM #63 Day 1 -Welcome to this special edition of Blogging Marathon. Every year, April and September are special months for us, BMers. These two months are designated for month long mega marathons. Today being the first of April, we are all excited to see what each of us has chosen to do from the options - 1) Recipes from any region in India or from any country for 26 days in alphabetical order or2) Recipes from 4 regions/countries each for a week in alphabetical order.I have chosen to showcase some authentic Maharashtrian recipes. I have had a great help in my friend, Shalaka. She has diligently worked with me by graciously sharing some of her heir loom recipes. For some of the difficult letters of the alphabet she has been very innovative and has pointed me to some interesting websites.I have tried to stick to healthy recipes for most of the time, but I confess, I had to get off the wagon for a few tricky ones. I have attempted to explore the Maharashtrian cuisine and trust me there are a few tucked into my magical draft folder :).Check out today's post which is a humble and a comfort food.Recipe Source ShalakaIngredients -Toor Dal 3/4 cupDrumstick chopped into 2 inch pieces (I used the frozen ones) handfulTurmeric 1/2 tspGoda Masala 3/4 tsp (store bought or home made)Salt and Chili Powder as neededJaggery, powdered 1 tsp (Optional)Kokum 3-4 (I used the wet version)Seasoning (Oil 2 tsp, Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp, Cumin Seeds 1/2 tsp, Asafotida 1 pinch, Curry leaves few)Coriander leaves for garnishFresh grated coconut for garnish (I forgot to garnish)

Method Of Preparation -

Wash toor dal and pressure cook it with drumstick and turmeric along with adequate water. After the pressure is released from the pressure cooker, remove the cooked dal and mash it, taking care not to mash the drumstick.In a sauce pan, heat oil and add the mustard and cumin seeds. After they crackle, add asafotida and curry leaves.Transfer the cooked dal mixture into the seasoning.Sprinkle salt, chili powder, kokum, jaggery, Goda Masala and let the Amti simmer for a few minutes on low heat.Remove from heat and serve with rice.

Lovely theme Harini and lucky for you to get a friend to share authentic Maharashtrian recipes. Looking forward to all your yummy creations this month. Amti with drumsticks looks so inviting and delicious.

Wonderful choice and pinch back..:))...so nice that you are going to explore the whole cuisine..thanks to your friend too...can't wait to catch up all the recipes, I am sure its going to be a great experience for us as well..